Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Only 14 Wolves Remain in Oregon

10-week-old Zephyr speaking up

Last year we were thrilled to hear news about some special wolves that had quietly claimed new territory as their own. We celebrated the pioneering wolves that migrated successfully from Idaho to the Pacific Northwest and watched Oregon's wolf population rise to 23 with the Wenaha and Imnaha packs growing as popular as some of the well documented wolves of Yellowstone. How quickly things can change. With the passage of the Federal Budget Bill last spring, most wolves of the western states lost endangered species protections and now this small population that had just begun to establish itself in a remote corner in Oregon is among the many who are now at risk of disappearing. Sadly, only 14 wolves can currently call Oregon home. What will their future hold?

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is looking into creating a distinct population segment that would protect wolves in the western two thirds of Oregon, Washington, and northern California, but they need public input first. Oregon Wild, a not for profit organization with the mission to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife and waters, is making it easy to enter this conversation. Please click here if you want to let USFWS know that Oregon wolves warrant protections as a part of a distinct population segment. The comment period is coming to a close so please take action by July 5th.

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About Us

Located in South Salem, NY, the Wolf Conservation Center (www.nywolf.org) exists to educate people about wolves and their valuable role in the environment, and to help protect their future in the wild. The WCC is home to ambassador wolves that visitors can observe in spacious natural enclosures. We also have over 20 wolves as part of our participation in Species Survival Plans for critically endangered Mexican Gray Wolves and Red Wolves. To learn more about us or to arrange a visit, please go to our website and follow us on Facebook. Questions about the blog? Email us at nywolf.org@gmail.com